Past Event

Steamboat Springs  Former professional bull rider Judd Mortensen knows what it takes to find success on the back of a bull. As a promoter, he also knows what it takes to put on a good show.

Mortensen has brought Professional Bull Riders events to Steamboat Springs for the past six years and will return Sunday when the Rocky Mountain Bull Bash takes center stage at Brent Romick Rodeo Arena.

“I know what it takes to put together a good pen,” Mortensen said Friday while setting up fence and bleachers inside the arena for Sunday’s event. “I spent a lot of years on the back of a bull, and I know what kind of bull I would love to climb on if I were riding. Those are the types of bulls we bring in for this event.”

The gates open at 3 p.m. Sunday for this year’s PBR Touring Pro event. The dirt will fly starting at 5 p.m. with the first go-around. The top riders from each go-around will compete in the finals.

“You want to show up early to get a good seat,” Mortensen said. “But personally, I think they are all good seats.”

Spectators have two options for this year’s contest. Seats on the arena floor will sell for $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. Mortensen said promoters have installed fencing to cut the arena down in size and will place bleachers on the arena floor to give fans an up-close experience.

The event also offers reserved seating in the bleachers that surround the arena. Those tickets cost $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. Ticket holders are guaranteed a seat in the metal grandstands that overlook the chutes or in the lower bleachers to the side of the grandstands. However, Mortensen said the exact seat will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis in the reserved and floor sections of the arena. The concrete grandstands at the back of the arena will not be used for this event, and spectators will not be allowed in that area.

The PBR is divided into two divisions. There is the Built Ford Tough Series, which features the top riders in the country riding in front of TV cameras, and the Touring Pro Division, which features good riders hoping to make it to the Built Ford Tough Series. Mortensen said this weekend’s events will draw a mix of riders from the two divisions because the prize money helps riders qualify for the world finals as well as rising stars looking to pick up enough cash to move up in the standings.

Jordan Hupp, who is coming off at the WinStar World Casino Invitational in Thackerville, Okla., in July, will highlight this weekend’s field. Hupp also won at the PBR Express Classic in Oklahoma City in February and won in Steamboat Springs three years ago. Other top riders coming to Steamboat include Oregon’s Cody Campbell and New Mexico’s Chon Miranda.

To reach John F. Russell, call 970-871-4209 or email jrussell@SteamboatToday.com